How Hard is PA School?

Physician assistants are highly in-demand medical professionals, right next to doctors and nurses. In fact, the profession itself was created to meet the strong demand for primary care physicians back in the mid-1960s. These professionals work in medical teams to provide the utmost patient care, treat diseases, and promote a healthier way of life for patients.

With the medical field being so vast, there are several paths that an aspiring medical care provider can venture into. Some go to med school, others train to become registered nurses, and others opt for PA education. 

Some who are considering which path to take may consider program difficulty as one determinant for their final decision. Which begs the question: how hard is PA school? 

Is PA School Hard?

PA schools have the primary goal of equipping their students with the education and training needed to become great physician assistants. And because PAs will be handling the lives of their patients, they need exceptional training. 

Diagnosing illnesses and coming up with the right treatment plan is nothing to take lightly. And to prepare students for that, PA school is just as rigorous as medical school even though some schools can be easier to get into. 

What Makes PA School Hard? 

PAs looking back at their educational years have reported the following factors that make PA school hard: 

  • Volume of information

  • Study materials 

  • Percentile cap 

  • Challenging tests 

  • Clinical experience

The first year of PA school may perhaps be the most challenging. This is the didactic part of PA education, where students take up academic courses that can be book and information-heavy. Because of this, students spend most of their first year studying the materials and mastering medical concepts. 

Depending on the PA program you enroll in, your didactic year will cover the following courses: 

  • Clinical anatomy

  • Clinical medicine

  • Critical care

  • Emergency medicine

  • Epidemiology

  • Integrative medicine

  • Obstetrics/ Gynecology

  • Pediatrics

  • Pharmacology

  • Physiology

  • Preventive medicine

  • Primary care

  • Surgery

  • Technical skills 

The breadth of information you will be required to consume in PA school is perhaps the most surprising and challenging aspect. There will be a large amount of material that you need to study day in and day out to prepare you for classes and exams and the PA profession itself.

To add to the pressure, students are required to maintain good grades and rank above the threshold. Those who score below the required percentile will land in remediation or dismissal from the program. 

When students complete the academic phase of their PA education, they move on to the clinical phase. This is a form of on-the-job training where PA students can apply what they learned in their didactic years. Depending on the program, students will be able to explore specializations in the PA profession. Part of the clinical phase of PA school involves long and laborious hours in on-the-job training, as well as all-nighters to study for upcoming classes or exams. 

Practicing Medicine is Harder Than PA School 

While PA school can become overwhelmingly difficult, it’s only the beginning of a much more challenging profession ahead. Studying for exams is, in fact, the easy part. Being in front of a patient and challenged to correctly diagnose the disease and formulate the right treatment plan is what takes skill, knowledge, and experience. 

As primary health care providers, physician assistants take on the following roles day in and day out: 

  • Recording patient history

  • Performing physical exams

  • Ordering, performing, and interpreting diagnostic tests

  • Analyzing patient and disease information

  • Diagnosing illnesses 

  • Prescribing treatment plans 

  • Assisting in surgery and performing procedures 

  • Preventive counseling 

As part of medical teams in hospitals and other health institutions, other medical professionals rely on PAs. On average, a physician assistant can see about 73 patients in one 40-hour workweek, but this can also rise in number depending on the PA’s unique specialization. 

The PA profession is a life-long learning experience. Building your skills and expanding your knowledge does not end when you graduate from PA school. This is especially true because medicine is constantly evolving, and as a medical care provider, it will become your responsibility to keep up with medical trends and learn new skills and procedures that will make you a better PA. 

Looking Past Hardships 

Everything that you will be put through when you step in the doors of PA school is meant to increase your knowledge of the medical profession and train you for a rigorous but rewarding career as a PA. 

It takes not only brains or a hard-working personality to get into PA school and become a good medical professional, but more importantly, you need to have grit and motivation. Hence, program difficulty should not be your main consideration when deciding whether or not to go to PA school. 

Instead, you should think about your goals and whether or not you have the passion and drive to become a PA — that is what will get you through long study sessions, mind-boggling tests, and the harsh demands of the medical profession.